IntraHealth International and Novartis Foundation Team Up to Thwart Hypertension in Senegal

Photo by Nana Kofi Acquah courtesy of the Novartis FoundationSeptember 26, 2017IntraHealth International is partnering with the Novartis Foundation, the Senegal Ministry of Health and Social Action, PATH, local health officials, community-based organizations, and other local stakeholders to address hypertension and improve cardiac health among the population of Dakar.Through the new initiative, Better Hearts Better Cities – Dakar, the ministry will test evidence-based, scalable approaches in Dakar that have the potential to thwart the rise of hypertension and othernoncommunicable diseases (NCDs) throughoutSenegal and the region.NCDs killmore than 40 million people worldwide every year, and more than 80% of NCD-related premature deaths occur in low- or middle-income countries. In Senegal, the World Health Organizationestimates that 34% of all deaths are due to NCDs.Of all chronic conditions, hypertension —a risk factor for coronary heart disease and stroke—is the most common.The incidence of stroke —the major clinical outcome of uncontrolled hypertension—has increased 46% since 1990 in sub-Saharan Africa and is now the fifth-leading cause of death in Senegal.According to Senegal ’s2015 STEP Survey, 29.8% of people 18 to 69 years old are estimated to have hypertension, but few are aware of their condition (28.4%in a study conducted in Dakar). Even fewer are taking antihypertensive medication (17%), and less than 8% have their blood pressure under control.Women ar...
Source: IntraHealth International - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Source Type: news